


Crutchie vs Racism

by My_Coffee_Is_Hot_Chocolate



Series: That Wizards and Powers AU [3]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Powers and Magic, Crutchie is a badass, Poor Albert, Racism, Teen for racism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-07-10 15:27:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15952184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Coffee_Is_Hot_Chocolate/pseuds/My_Coffee_Is_Hot_Chocolate
Summary: Crutchie knew when he joined the newsies that most of them had powers and very very few were wizards like him or powerless people.Crutchie was fairly certain almost the entire powered population in Manhattan’s children were newsies. Powers were not common up north, most still lived in the south where their ancestors had lived for over 60 years at minimum as slaves.And now here Crutchie was, forced to sell papers after his leg was damaged by disease and the healer had overpriced for a failed spell to heal it. So here he was, selling papers with powered kids like he never thought he’d have to.





	Crutchie vs Racism

Crutchie knew when he joined the newsies that most of them had powers and very very few were wizards like him or powerless people. 

Crutchie was fairly certain almost the entire powered population in Manhattan’s children were newsies. Powers were not common up north, most still lived in the south where their ancestors had lived for over 60 years at minimum as slaves. 

And now here Crutchie was, forced to sell papers after his leg was damaged by disease and the healer had overpriced for a failed spell to heal it. So here he was, selling papers with powered kids like he never thought he’d have to.

His entire life he’d been taught that the other kids who had powers were to be looked down on. That they were dangerous. That he should be glad he lived in the good part of the city. That he should be proud that unlike Britain, and a few other countries, his had outlawed slavery and that because he was part of the race who freed them, powered people had to treat him well. 

Crutchie had never understood why his parents thought this way, but he believed it until he talked and made friends with his fellow newsies.

Yha, they had powers. Yha, sometimes their powers were dangerous. But not often. 

Well, Jack’s doodles that accidentally came alive on occasion were scary, and Smalls sometimes accidentally turned into a lion in her sleep, but that was really the extent of it.

Most of their powers were harmless or even helpful. 

Race had illusion powers. Sniper had bird’s vision, Mike and Ike had shrinking and expanding powers respectively. That's how they kept everyone fed, Ike would expand whatever food anyone brought it. Everyone had powers. And they were nothing like how Crutchie’s parents had told him they would.

And yha, a few had powers that got in the way. Elmer’s glue hands and Albert’s tendency to accidentally get trapped on the ceiling were hassles. But they got around them, and Crutchie found that his old ideals were closed minded and that frankly he was a better person after meeting and talking with his friends. 

Of course that was seemingly just him in this city.

He was talking with Albert, who’s powers were visible because unless he concentrated really hard he always floated a few inches off the ground. And someone decided this was reason enough to be a asshole.

A random (Wealthy looking) man walked up to the two boys having a conversation and butted in. “Can you not float like that?” He demanded.

Albert blinked. “What?”

“That floating thing. Can you not do that? I don’t like it.” The man said in a clipped tone. “And it bothers my wife very much as well.”

Albert quickly lowered to the ground, keeping his eyes on his feet. “‘S that all sir?” He asked quietly.

“No, I need someone to carry my bags to my carriage. NOW!” The man raised his voice and his hand. Albert flinched and rushed to grab the bags that had been sitting by the curb. A carridge had just pulled up.

Crutchie watched in silence for a second before boiling over with anger and marching up to the man now watching Albert load the bags without the use of his powers. “WHAT THE HELL GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO BOSS HIM AROUND LIKE THAT?!” He roared, balancing on one leg and brandishing his crutch. 

The man loomed over him. “Would you like to help him?” He asked in a dangerously low voice. 

Crutchie muttered a spell and the man’s hat caught on (harmless) fire. 

The man jumped back, snatching the hat off his own head and checking for damage. Apon seeing the hat was unharmed, he looked back at Crutchie. “A wizard eh? BOY!” He turned back to Albert, who was almost done. “Are you almost done?”

Albert nodded and got the one last bag onto the carriage. He didn’t hold out his hand for pay or even look up at the man, just started to hurry off on shaky legs. Staying on the ground took a lot of effort and he also wasn’t used to walking with any weight on his legs. Crutchie grabbed the back of his shirt as he passed by and stuck out his hand. “Now pay him.” He said with steely confidence. 

Albert tried to pull Crutchie away. “Crutch it ain’t worth it-”

“It is, Albert. Now, pay. Him.” Crutchie didn’t look away from the man. The man sighed and dug out a nickel. And then he left.

Albert sheepishly took the nickel. “Thanks Crutchie. I don’t know how I can thank you.”

Crutchie shrugged. “No need to thank me. I’m just being a decent human.”


End file.
